


Selfish

by MrsDK1998



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Movie Night, Self-indulgent fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-26 09:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3845206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsDK1998/pseuds/MrsDK1998
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somewhere between analyzing the probability of the airplane flying above them at this exact moment carrying somebody either of them has seen at least once in his life while walking down the street and arguing whether or not a moss piglet would survive in Momo's hands, Ai dozes off in the same quiet way he does pretty much everything else- making Rei fall for him included.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Selfish

The night starts off as usual; Rei has already made twice the amount of tea he makes when he's on his own and served it in a neat tea set only used when someone's coming over by the time a soft knock on the door -so soft he only hears it because the whole house is dead quiet- makes his heart leap and his face heat up and he almost curses when he nearly trips over his own two feet on his way to the door.  


Ai smiles in that sweet way of his and steps into the house with a polite greeting that Rei reciprocates to faster than he intended. He tells Ai to make himself comfortable as he brings out his notebooks and puts a movie to load for when they're done with the former.  


It's become a habit; Ai coming over Saturday evening and staying for hours on end, him and Rei just enjoying eachother's company even when there's no notebooks included, when the credits have already rolled and they're still talking about anything or saying nothing at all- letting themselves breathe after a long week and finally finding peace in their silent little world. Rei is aware of the matchmaker role Nagisa played, as well as the fact that he still owes the blond; he had noticed Rei's behaviour around Ai and set up a movie night for just the three of them. He did the same thing a few more times before promptly leaving in the middle of a movie the fifth or sixth time, saying he had a family obligation and leaving the other two alone together. Next time Ai proposed a movie night, Nagisa persisted that they have one just the two of them, walking away from Ai's curious protests with an apology and an excuse. Rei felt selfish -and maybe even guilty, since he knew how much the blond enjoyed Ai's company- suggesting they don't bother Nagisa the next time around, but somehow knew that it was his friend's plan all along.  


Tonight's movie was carefully picked by Rei as always; however neither seems to really be paying attention to it. With soft pillows between their backs and the wall, blankets draped loosely on their laps and Ai's head on Rei's shoulder they talk in hushed voices -as if someone is around to hear them- mindful not to shatter the mental bubble of calm surrounding them.  


Somewhere between analyzing the probability of the airplane flying above them at this exact moment carrying somebody either of them has seen at least once in his life while walking down the street and arguing whether or not a moss piglet would survive in Momo's hands, Ai dozes off in the same quiet way he does pretty much everything else- making Rei fall for him included. Which is exactly why Rei doesn't realize it until the weight on his shoulder slips onto his lap.  


Rei doesn't react for several seconds; he stares at the silver mess of hair on his lap as if he's seeing it for the first time, as if he doesn't know to whom it belongs. He's wondered countless times whether or not it's Ai's natural colour, always got too flustered around him to remember to ask- and Rei knows it's strange and maybe even a bit illogical, but he's not as reserved about illogical things as he used to be. While he does enjoy learning the theory behind stuff, he's come to realize that there's a certain kind of thrill to things that can't be explained, one of them being Nitori Aiichirou. 

Maybe that's why the tiny captain fascinates Rei so much -tiny compared to his above average teammates, that is. Ai was so relieved that Yamazaki 'Literal Giant' Sousuke is a year older and graduated during the same time period Rin made Ai the new swim team captain. Rei can't help but smile at the memory, amused at the thought of Captain Ai basically being Sousuke's boss. Ai may not exactly be the 'bossing around' type, but he sure doesn't beat around the bush about matters concerning the team.  


Rei finds himself running his fingers through silver hair before he realizes it. There's no reaction from Ai apart from a tiny sigh that gets past his lips, but other than that he seems to remain completely oblivious to the world around him. It's been a long week, Rei knows.  


Between managing to handle an entire swim team of over thirty members on a daily basis -and Rei admires him for that, as Iwatobi's less than ten members tire him to no end so he can't even imagine himself handling the triple amount of people- and rooming with one hyperactive, bug-loving Mikoshiba takes a lot of energy, so of course Ai would fall asleep before the second half of the movie even began.  


Rei decides it's about time he turns the TV off. As he reaches for the remote, his eyes glance at Ai's face -involuntarily, Rei tries to convince himself- and he freezes.  


The light from the screen in the otherwise dark room reflects on Ai's face and makes him look calm, like he almost never is. His features are relaxed, his brow doesn't spot a single crease, his lips are slightly parted around his soft breathing and his hair surrounds his face like a silver halo. Rei is captivated, his hand hovering over the remote as he considers not turning the TV off, instead just muting it. He goes for the latter, careful not to bother Ai, settles back and continues running his fingers through the sleeping boy's hair. He brushes silver locks behind Ai's ear so he can see his face, idly realizing that he's never wanted to kiss someone so badly -the pecks Ai presses on Rei's lips before he hurriedly leaves aren't nearly enough.  


Ai stirs and turns on his back, and now Rei can see even the beauty mark under his right eye -Ai keeps arguing that's it's just your average mole and there's nothing beautiful about it, but Rei says that if that were true, it wouldn't be called a beauty mark.  


Light blue eyes flutter open. Ai smiles and Rei is left breathless.  


"Rei," is all Ai says.  


"Y-yes?" Rei whispers.  


Ai closes his eyes again and Rei thinks he fell back asleep, until the boy in his lap reaches out, grabs the back of Rei's head, pulls him down-  


And Rei swears all the theories he's read on kissing go flying out the window because they're not even relatively close to succesfully, acurately describing what he's feeling right now. He can't even bring himself to close his eyes but Ai doesn't seem to care, he doesn't pull back and Rei absentmindedly realizes this is their first real kiss -and that his hand is resting on Ai's chest and the beat under his palm is more frantic than the other boy lets on.  


When Ai's hand leaves Rei's neck, the bespectacled swimmer is reluctant to pull back but does so anyway, still keeping his face close to Ai's. He stays there until the other boy's eyes flutter open, look at him with something akin to sadness and Rei suddenly becomes aware that it's way past curfew back at Samezuka. He swallows.  


"Do you... have to go?" he whispers, voice barely audible.  


Ai smiles. "I'm afraid so."  


Rei knows he's being selfish and unreasonable when he mutters, "stay a little longer."  


But Ai stays, so Rei doesn't mind a little selfishness.

**Author's Note:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
